Graphics processing system with enhanced bus bandwidth utilization and method therefore

A graphics processing system comprising:

• a graphics processing circuit that includes:
• a graphics processing pipeline that generates pixel fragments;
• a fragment combining block operably coupled to the graphics processing pipeline, wherein the fragment combining block groups pixel fragments received from the graphics processing pipeline into fragment blocks, wherein each fragment block includes locations for a predetermined number of pixel fragments, wherein locations within each fragment block within which the fragment combining block has stored a pixel fragment are filled locations, wherein the fragment combining block outputs fragment blocks that are at least partially filled, wherein when the fragment combining block outputs a fragment block, the fragment block is accompanied by a set of flags, wherein the set of flags indicates which locations in the fragment block that is being outputted are filled locations;
• a packing block operably coupled to the fragment combining block, wherein the packing block generates a stream of data based on pixel fragments stored in filled locations within fragment blocks received from the fragment combining block, wherein the stream of data is constructed based on the set of flags that accompanies each fragment block received;
• and
• an enhanced memory circuit operably coupled to the graphics processing circuit, wherein the enhanced memory circuit includes:
• a frame buffer that stores image data corresponding to a frame;
• an unpacking block operably coupled to the packing block of the graphics processing circuit, wherein the unpacking block receives the stream of data and the sets of flags corresponding to the fragment blocks used to construct the stream of data, wherein the unpacking block reconstructs the fragment blocks used to construct the stream of data from the stream of data, wherein reconstruction of the fragment blocks utilizes the sets of flags corresponding to the fragment blocks used to construct the stream of data;
• and
• a render backend block operably coupled to the unpacking block and the frame buffer, wherein the render backend block blends pixel fragments contained within fragment blocks reconstructed by the unpacking block with image data in the frame buffer, wherein blending performed by the render backend block is on a block-by-block basis such that pixel fragments included in each fragment block are blended in parallel.